Marathon (A Jonathan Stride Novel)

I have been reading mysteries for 30 years, I enjoy the forensics, the escape, the "who done it", and I picked up a couple of Brian Freeman books, thought he was creative, pre-ordered a kindle book, "Marathon'". Really? Do my authors have to become political nutcases like the rest of the country? He writes all about the president tweeting, and the president says Muslims are bad, and all this political crap that I get all day on the news. Reading should be an escape, not political nuttiness. Leave your politics out of the book, Mr. Freeman. I asked for a refund from the store, I am not interested in reading the rest of this book, and I will buy no more of Brian Freeman's books.

Another great installment in the Stride series as the story unfolds showing the danger of social media and keyboard cowboys that post whatever they want. An interesting fictional story that could easily become the truth in today's world. The author does an excellent job of developing the characters with depth and reality while infusing interesting personalities. The character development further enhances a well thought out plot that has many twists and turns to entertain and intrigue you. I listened to this book and must say that the reader does an excellent job of also adding a bit of depth to the characters as he gives them each their voice. I absolutely can not wait for the next book to come out!

A bomb exploding at the Duluth Marathon and a Muslim man is publicly accused. Ugh. Do I really want to read this?

I suspect that's what many readers will think. Don't give up on it! Yes, it has a message that's important. Yes, it may make you uncomfortable and perhaps angry. But this is a well-written story. It's a mix of current events and feelings sensitively handled along side the investigation into the crime by Jonathan Stride and crew. It feels to me that Brian Freeman put his heart and soul into this book, and I say, "Well done, Mr. Freeman."

To be honest, I selected this title at random, being a marathon runner myself. It is clear, however, that the Duluth marathon is only the setting used to display the indomitable spirit of marathoners imbued in the protagonists in this story...though each has a history of weakness, anger, and/or helplessness. Freeman intertwines subplots masterfully as hr puts on display the human weaknesses we all have hidden within. Overcoming personal biases and/or past failures to achieve a redemption in spirit takes many of the characters the entire novel to achieve, and some, unfortunately, never do. I was sorely tempted about midway through this too-real novel to put the text down because I feared for the result: a continued depiction of events I see daily on television and read on Twitter. Fortunately, the resolution gave me a semblance of hope and yet left me with significant questions about humanity. Well done, Mr. Freeman.

With the title name of Marathon, the first time I heard (from the audiobook) the words "pressure cooker", I wasn't sure if I wanted to continue with the story. The Boston Marathon Bombing was still too fresh and I didn't want to re-live the horror. But I continued on, especially since it was part of the Stride series, and I was glad I did. The book was told from different perspectives and it offered an opportunity for self-introspection. It was a thriller and kept me interested. This book, even if prior books in the series have not been read, could generate good discussions for a book club.

The title of Brian Freeman’s great new novel. MARATHON is deceiving. Once you start you will sprint through the pages to find out who committed a heinous and topical crime. As Dick Wolf, the prolific creator of shows like LAW AND ORDER, says Marathon is “ripped from the headlines.” As the title suggests, Duluth, Minnesota is hosting its annual marathon when a bomb explodes, injuring and killing countless bystanders and race participants. The F.B.I. and Lieutenant Johnathon Stride of the Duluth P.D. is tasked with finding and capturing the perp of this ugly and death-dealing crime. Their investigation centers on the Muslim community. We ride long as various elements of the intriguing and captivating investigation unwrap. Freeman portrays a community torn apart by politics, prejudice, and terror. MARATHON is a fascinating, captivating, and involving thriller/procedural that unquestionably merits the few days that it will take to finish.

Another great Jonathan Stride novel by Freeman. I was somewhat disappointed by the ending, found it not quite credible. But the book was so engaging overall that I couldn't take away for it.
Definitely recommend this one.

Brian Freeman may have topped himself in this timely thriller. Great characters who make you think about what's right and what's wrong....and there is a lot wrong with some of these characters! You'll find yourself shouting at them to do the right thing. They have to dig deep not only to figure out their values but to live them. And the great love story between Stride and Serena continues. Highly recommended!

Brian Freeman may have topped himself in this timely thriller. Great characters who make you think about what's right and what's wrong....and there is a lot wrong with some of these characters! You'll find yourself shouting at them to do the right thing. They have to dig deep not only to figure out their values but to live them. And the great love story between Stride and Serena continues. Highly recommended!

i could not put this latest masterpiece down. It had me from the first page to the last, and the excitement just kept on building. It opened my eyes to how easily an innocent person could be blamed for something, and for things to go so tragically wrong. The characters are all so believable, and seem like real people to me. I can't wait for the next one.

Mr. Freeman continues to AMAZE. His plots and characters get better with each offering. MARATHON exemplifies this to a "T". It will make you self examine (at least I did) thoughts that I have had regarding others. His characters are spot on and the writing flows. It is a difficult book to put down and the final plot twist comes out of no where and ties the book's ending up into a neat, but unexpected "WOW I didn't see that coming". A wonderful read!

The author can carry a narrative OK, but this book is just a checking off of all the politically correct boxes. Misunderstood and misidentified Muslim characters? Raging bigots urging murder and mayhem against Muslims? Bland investigators fighting their own prejudices to arrive at truth and justice? Yep, got all that, just like Pete Dexter drivel. I could almost hear Kumbaya being sung in the background. Even the 'surprise' ending is no surprise. Not worth your reading time.

Brian Freeman did such a good job presenting the tragedy of fear and misunderstanding. Too bad it can’t be required reading for everyone.
In this book, besides being a good story, he used his gift to try to bring more understanding to a volatile subject.
I highly recommend.

Freeman's plot twist was foreshadowed about halfway through the book. His characterizations and locations ring true, but the ending was. very simplistic and obvious. Motivation was weak, and it came out of the blue in the last few pages, Not believable, but part of liberal propaganda that refuses to recognize that terrorists do exist in Duluth as well as the rest of the country.

Brian Freeman ROCKS! Marathon is a great thriller. I couldn't put it down. The story line sparked so many emotions in me. This is an absolute must read. . . especially in this day and age. I enjoy Jonathan and Serena and cannot wait for their next adventure.

This book was fabulous. It had my heart pumping. A must read. This books shows in detail how wrong it can be to jump to conclusions about someone because they are different from you!
Keep them coming Brian Freeman.

As expected another great read from Brian Freeman. Plot twists, complex characters and little surprises throughout this amazing book. Can't say enough about Brian Freeman, one of my favorite authors, can't wait for the next book?

This book had me hooked from the very beginning. It was filled with many twists and turns. It was a very thought provoking story line and should teach everyone not to judge people by their looks or religion. Awesome book, everyone should read it!

While there is a mystery to solve here (a terrorist bombing) that seems less important to the author than telling us how unfair it is to Muslims that they are the prime suspects whenever there is a terrorist event. Hmmm ... I wonder why that might be? Extra care is taken to criticize right-wing citizens who vent their feelings via Twitter. And yes, that criticism even extends to the current occupant of the White House. So, if you like your murder mysteries wrapped up in a cocoon of political correctness, this could be the right book for you.